-- A well-balanced layout that welcomes all skill levels. This course has something for everyone. If you're a veteran, you will have a chance at scoring several under par; as an intermediate player, you'll probably shoot very close to par; and as a newbie, you won't have your confidence crushed. I am an intermediate player and I scored 1 under par (53). There are only a couple longshot ace opportunities and no "You've got to be kidding me" impossible holes like I've seen at other mountain courses.
-- Ripe with creativity, never repetitive. Not once while standing at a tee did I catch myself thinking "Oh, this is another dogleg right behind a small cluster of trees..." Each hole uses the environment and terrain to its full advantage. Kudos to the designer for hitting that elisive sweet spot in disc golf course design that lies between this-is-way-too-hard and my-grandma-could-ace-this.
-- Helpful signage, flags and map. Tall numbered tee signs and checkered flags atop the baskets provide glaring visual cues that allow you to stay focused on the game of disc golf rather than hunting for tees or baskets hidden in the woods. Additionally, small plastic signs that are unobtrusively attached to nearly all of the baskets aid in directing players to the next tee - which also speeds up the flow of player traffic. Lastly, an intelligible course map and scorecards are available at the Summer Adventure Center where you purchase your lift ticket, or at the small booth at the top of the Strawberry Park Express Lift.
-- Nearby services. While you have beautiful mountain vistas and almost complete serenity out on the course, you also get the luxury of restaurants, clean restrooms and convenient shops for anything you need in the quaint mountain village of Beaver Creek. Also, the booth at the top of the lift offers free ice water for dogs and humans!
-- Low traffic. At 11 a.m. on a gorgeous, sunny Saturday with temps in the 70s, I only saw two other groups of disc golfers. My buddy and I practically had the course to ourselves at what we expected to be peak playing time.

Note: When taking the following items into consideration, I still chose to give this course a 4.5 rating. I try to be bipartisan as well as helpful in my reviews, so I've included a few things that some players might consider "cons", even if they don't bother me much.

-- Cost. The Summer 2014 Beaver Creek & Vail adult single-day lift ticket costs $26 at Beaver Creek, or $28 for the exact same ticket at Vail (hmm...). Your pass is good for as many lift rides as you want within a day at both resorts during lift operating hours (check their websites). With the exception of hiking several miles up the Berry Picker Trail, which would give you FREE course access, riding the lift is the only other permissible way to access the Strawberry Park course. Take note that if you also play the Adventure Ridge course at Vail, it will only end up costing you $13 per 18-hole course. If you play multiple rounds at either course, then you're really getting your bang for your buck!
-- Old, single-chain baskets. These baskets have probably been around for 8 - 12 years and could use some updating. They are old Innovas that are littered with stickers and were only designed with one set of heavy-duty outer chains through which many a disc can (and WILL) find its way through. This can be frustrating, depending on how you choose to score shots that nearly all other baskets would've caught in their multi-layered chains.
-- No trash cans and very few benches. I don't normally use either of these course amenities, but it's worth noting that this course runs short on both. Public restrooms are available in the village or near the top of the lift.
-- Rough, natural tees. This is understandable since Strawberry Park is overtly a temporary course. The resort leases most of their land from the Forest Service, therefore they do not want to unnecessarily disturb the habitat, especially when the baskets will likely be moved again next year. None of the tees prevented me from throwing comfortably. In fact, I sometimes prefer natural tees because there aren't any landscaping materials to "box you in". Ball golf tees are large enough to give the golfer room to tee off from different positions in the box, so it's my opinion that disc golf tees should also provide enough room to take a several approach steps without worrying about spraining an ankle on a landscaping timber or the edge of a concrete pad. (Please excuse my rant).

This is a FUN course! Enjoy yourself out there.

There is a bit of hiking involved. I would advise wearing sturdy hiking shoes, sunscreen, bug spray, and bringing at least a quart of water per person and a course map (see links / files page).